A public resource guide
Baton Rouge provides twice-weekly garbage collection plus a once-weekly out-of-cart pickup that handles bulk items, bagged leaves, and yard waste, all included in the monthly solid waste fee. The North Landfill at 16001 Samuels Road offers free self-haul for EBR residents.
Last updated: May 2026 · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Baton Rouge runs one of the more comprehensive municipal waste programs in the South: twice-weekly garbage collection plus a once-weekly out-of-cart pickup that handles bulk items, bagged leaves, and yard waste, all covered under the monthly solid waste fee of approximately $35.23. The out-of-cart service is the bulk pickup equivalent for most residents, requiring no separate appointment or fee. 2026 change: Parish DPW workers will no longer voluntarily pick up large woody waste piles after the prior arrangement expired without coverage; significant tree debris now requires self-haul to the North Landfill or private hauler. The North Landfill (16001 Samuels Rd, Zachary) offers free self-haul for East Baton Rouge Parish residents with proof of residency.
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Baton Rouge has unusually generous bulk service for a Southern city: weekly out-of-cart bulk pickup is included in the monthly solid waste fee at no separate charge, the North Landfill offers free self-haul for residents, bi-annual HHW events handle hazardous materials, donation programs help with usable items, and Freemoval serves households in partner communities.
Weekly out-of-cart bulk pickup
Included with serviceThe East Baton Rouge Parish out-of-cart collection is the primary bulk waste pathway, covered in the monthly solid waste fee of about $35.23. It runs once per week on a designated day for your address, handled by Richards Disposal, Inc.
What's accepted: Bulk items (furniture, appliances, mattresses), bagged leaves and grass, bundled yard waste and small branches.
How to prepare: Leaves and lawn trimmings should be bagged separately from bulk items. Brush and branches should be bundled (not bagged).
What's NOT accepted: Household hazardous waste, contractor or landscaper debris (landscapers are responsible for their own debris removal), and effective 2026, large woody waste piles.
Set-out time: Curbside by 4:00 AM on your collection day. Only resident-generated waste is accepted.
Find your day: Use the My Government Services portal at brla.gov/337/Garbage-Collection. Service issues: call 311 or use the Red Stick 311 app.
Major 2026 change: Parish workers will no longer voluntarily collect large woody waste piles. Use the North Landfill for self-haul of significant tree debris.
North Landfill free self-haul
Free for EBR residentsEBR Parish residents can self-haul to the North Landfill at no charge, with proof of residency. This is the primary alternative for woody waste (after the 2026 change) and items that exceed out-of-cart limits.
Address: 16001 Samuels Road (off Hwy 61), Zachary, LA 70791.
Hours: Monday-Friday 5:30 AM-5 PM, Saturday 7 AM-3 PM. Closed Sunday, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
Phone: (225) 389-5813.
Required: Driver’s license or utility bill showing EBR Parish address.
Vehicles allowed: Pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, small trailers. NO dump trailers. Loads must be manually unloaded into roll-off containers.
What it’s good for: Larger volumes than out-of-cart can handle, woody waste, and items that exceed monthly out-of-cart limits.
Bi-annual HHW events
Free for residentsEBR Parish holds Household Hazardous Waste collection events twice yearly (spring and fall) at a central location for paint, chemicals, batteries, electronics, motor oil, and other HHW that cannot go curbside.
Frequency: Twice yearly (spring and fall).
What's typically accepted: Paint and stains, motor oil, gasoline, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, electronics.
Find dates: Contact EBR Department of Environmental Services at (225) 389-5457 or check brla.gov for current event dates.
Recycling drop-off (Materials Recovery Facility)
FreeThe Baton Rouge Materials Recovery Facility at 7923 Tom Drive accepts recyclables year-round for residents who want to drop off rather than use curbside service.
Address: 7923 Tom Drive, Baton Rouge.
Useful for: Large quantities of cardboard, recycling overflow, or residents in buildings without curbside recycling service.
Curbside recycling: Once-weekly via the blue 64-gallon Republic Services cart, included in monthly fee.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeBaton Rouge-area nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition.
The Salvation Army Baton Rouge: Free pickup of usable furniture, working appliances, and clothing. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge ReStore: Free pickups for qualifying items including furniture, appliances under 10 years old, and building materials.
St. Vincent de Paul Baton Rouge: Free pickup of household items for families in need.
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana: Multiple Baton Rouge locations.
Freemoval (partner-community pickups)
FreeFreemoval subsidizes free junk removal pickups in partner communities, typically affordable housing properties and select municipal partnerships. Baton Rouge partner expansion is in progress for 2026.
Eligibility: Households in active partner communities. Ask your property manager whether your building participates.
Status in Baton Rouge: Onboarding partner properties throughout 2026.
What loaders pick up: Furniture, mattresses, appliances, bulk waste, anything within standard LoadUp marketplace service capabilities.
How it’s funded: 100% covered by LoadUp customer round-ups and partner-property fees.
Twice-weekly garbage. Baton Rouge provides twice-weekly garbage collection (one of few Southern cities its size that does), included in the monthly fee billed through your water bill. Carts curbside by 4:00 AM on collection day. Republic Services holds the garbage and recycling contract; Richards Disposal holds the out-of-cart contract.
Once-weekly recycling. Recycling is curbside in a 64-gallon blue Republic Services cart, once weekly, included in the monthly fee. Drop-off at the Materials Recovery Facility (7923 Tom Drive) is also available for overflow or residents without curbside service.
2026 woody waste change. After Parish's prior agreement with Richards Disposal for woody waste expired without renewal coverage, EBR DPW workers had been voluntarily collecting large woody waste piles as a courtesy. That voluntary collection ends in 2026. Significant tree debris now requires self-haul to the North Landfill or private hauler. Small branches bundled and tied are still accepted in regular out-of-cart collection.
Holiday closures. No collection on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. Service runs on the next scheduled collection day after those three holidays. Other federal holidays are unaffected.
Refrigerant rules. Louisiana follows EPA Section 608 federal rules for refrigerant recovery in refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. Don’t set out a charged unit, this is illegal. Out-of-cart collection accepts appliances, but EBR DPW typically routes them to Republic for proper handling. Retailer haul-away with new install is the most common path that handles refrigerant properly.
Outside Baton Rouge. Donaldsonville, West Baton Rouge Parish, Livingston Parish, and Ascension Parish have separate waste management. Most contract with Republic Services or other private haulers with similar but not identical rules. Check your parish website.
Baton Rouge-area donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods. Habitat ReStore in particular focuses on home improvement items and accepts cabinets, doors, lighting fixtures, and building materials.
Items donation programs typically don’t accept: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), tube-style or rear-projection TVs, and exercise equipment that requires reassembly.
If you’re unsure whether something qualifies, call the program before scheduling. Pickups that arrive and find unacceptable items usually leave them behind, which means you still need to dispose of them.
For households outside EBR Parish, items the city won’t take, or jobs that exceed out-of-cart limits, paid removal options range from self-haul to full-service hauling.
Self-haul to a transfer station
Free–$80EBR residents can self-haul to the North Landfill at no charge with proof of residency. Otherwise, regional transfer stations charge tipping fees by weight.
North Landfill (free for EBR residents): 16001 Samuels Road, Zachary. Mon-Fri 5:30 AM-5 PM, Sat 7 AM-3 PM. (225) 389-5813. Pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, small trailers only.
Regional alternatives: Republic Services and other haulers operate transfer facilities serving the Baton Rouge metro for non-residents or commercial waste.
Construction debris: Use a licensed C&D landfill or roll-off rental for renovation waste, the city won’t take it curbside.
Always call ahead: Hours, accepted materials, and fees change. Some facilities don’t accept mattresses or specific items.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households not eligible for free programs, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Baton Rouge area. Upfront pricing, same-week scheduling, and licensed disposal handled for you.
What's included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
Other paid services in Baton Rouge: 1-800-Got-Junk and College Hunks Hauling Junk both serve Baton Rouge. Local independent operators are typically 20%–30% below national chains. Comparison-shop for larger jobs.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book a Baton Rouge pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules. Here’s a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of in Baton Rouge.
Hazardous household materials cannot go in any Baton Rouge curbside cart or out-of-cart pickup. EBR Parish runs bi-annual HHW events; auto parts stores and retailers handle routine items year-round.
Bi-annual HHW events. EBR Parish holds HHW events twice yearly (spring and fall) at a central location for residents. Free with proof of residency. Accepts paint, motor oil, gasoline, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and electronics. Call (225) 389-5457 for current dates.
Auto parts stores. AutoZone, O’Reilly, and Advance Auto stores in Baton Rouge accept used motor oil and lead-acid car batteries free year-round. This is the easiest option for routine auto maintenance waste.
Best Buy electronics recycling. Best Buy stores accept most electronics free at customer service, including TVs, computers, monitors, and small appliances. Some items have size or weight limits.
Pharmacy take-back. Baton Rouge pharmacies and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office operate medication drop boxes for safe disposal of prescription drugs. Don’t flush or trash medications.
If you see illegal dumping or want to report a dump site, the right channel depends on jurisdiction:
East Baton Rouge Parish: Call 311, submit at 311.brla.gov, or use the Red Stick 311 smartphone app. Include the location (cross streets or address), description of dumped material, and a photo if possible.
Louisiana DEQ: For environmental violations involving hazardous materials or large-scale commercial dumping, contact the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
Active dumping in progress: Call Baton Rouge Police non-emergency for active illegal dumping you witness in progress.
Illegal dumping in Louisiana carries fines plus cleanup-cost recovery and possible misdemeanor charges for repeat or commercial-scale violations. If you’re considering dumping because you can’t afford a haul, please use one of the free options above instead, the bulk pickup is included in standard service at no extra fee.
Is bulk pickup really free in Baton Rouge?
Yes, the once-weekly out-of-cart pickup is included in the monthly solid waste fee (about $35.23) with no separate per-item or scheduling charge. Bulk items (furniture, appliances, mattresses) plus bagged leaves and bundled yard waste all go on your designated out-of-cart day. Curbside by 4 AM. Find your day at brla.gov/337/Garbage-Collection.
What changed with woody waste in 2026?
Parish DPW workers stopped voluntarily collecting large woody waste piles in 2026. The voluntary courtesy ended after Parish's prior agreement for woody waste expired and was not renewed. Small bundled branches in routine yard waste collection are still accepted. Significant tree debris now requires self-haul to the North Landfill (free for EBR residents) or a paid private hauler.
Is the North Landfill really free for residents?
Yes, free for EBR Parish residents with proof of residency (driver's license or utility bill). Address: 16001 Samuels Road, Zachary, LA 70791. Hours: Mon-Fri 5:30 AM-5 PM, Sat 7 AM-3 PM. Pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, and small trailers only - no dump trailers. Loads must be manually unloaded into roll-off containers. Phone (225) 389-5813.
How does Baton Rouge handle refrigerators and AC units?
Federal EPA Section 608 requires refrigerant recovery by a certified technician before disposal. Don't set out a charged unit, this is illegal. Out-of-cart collection accepts appliances; Republic typically handles routing for proper Freon recovery. Retailer haul-away with a new appliance install is the most common path that handles this for you.
What's the cheapest way to get rid of a mattress in Baton Rouge?
Free, set it out at the curb on your weekly out-of-cart day, no appointment needed. If the mattress is in good condition, donate to Salvation Army or Habitat ReStore Greater Baton Rouge. Paid hauling services start around $80 if you need same-week pickup.
Where do I take electronics?
Electronics aren't accepted in any Baton Rouge curbside cart or out-of-cart pickup. Bi-annual HHW events (call (225) 389-5457 for dates) accept electronics free for residents. Best Buy stores also accept most electronics free at customer service for items within size limits. Goodwill accepts some working electronics for resale.
How do I report illegal dumping in Baton Rouge?
Call 311, submit at 311.brla.gov, or use the Red Stick 311 smartphone app. For Louisiana state environmental violations, contact the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Active dumping in progress: Baton Rouge Police non-emergency line.
Is this page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated May 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
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